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Effect of nutrition on living organisms
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For years, I have been eating what I want. Food choices are a significant factor that affects our health. What we like or crave, often, is the determining variable in what we eat. Finding the right balance of food choices is the key factor in improving our health benefits. Choosing nutrient-dense foods will provide more nutritional value than foods that are found to be low in nutrient density. Making the right choices in foods, however, is extremely difficult. Often, I find myself enthralled in the latest fad, not considering the subtext of the foods I am eating, such as nutrients, vitamins, healthy fats and unhealthy fats, cholesterol and minerals. The diet project underlined a three-day food entry intake that provided a dietary analysis report …show more content…
Six moths ago I scheduled a physical and blood work, a month later I was diagnosed with high cholesterol. My total cholesterol levels were at 250, with and LDL of 150, which puts me at a higher risk of cardiovascular illness. I was given the option of changing my eating habits with a combination of exercise to manage and lower my cholesterol levels, thus avoiding the need for medication. The dr. was very supportive, he had many helpful suggestions and showed me several ways in which I could lower my cholesterol by making simple food choices. After a long discussion I decided this was the way to go, I hate taking medication. When I reviewed the analysis report and saw that my cholesterol continues to be above the recommended range I let out a huge sigh, it took a few seconds to compose myself before I continued to look over it. This whole time I thought I had maintained my cholesterol under control, the analysis report proved that I was wrong. It is important that I make changes on how I eat. High cholesterol is indicative of cardiovascular illnesses that possibly result in serious chronic diseases. Diseases that are linked to high cholesterol are Coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. The main risk from cholesterol is heart attacks. If the cholesterol remains high, it can build up overtime in the walls of the arteries forming a build up known as plaque. This plaque will cause the arteries
Nutritionism and Today’s Diet Nutritionism is the ideology that the nutritional value of a food is the sum of all its individual nutrients, vitamins, and other components. In the book, “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan, he critiques scientists and government recommendations about their nutritional advice. Pollan presents a strong case pointing out the many flaws and problems that have risen over the years of following scientific studies and government related warnings on the proper amount of nutrients needed for a healthy diet. Pollan’s main point is introducing science into our food system has had more of a negative impact than a positive one, we should go back to eating more of a traditional diet. I believe food science has given us
Eating is an instinctual habit; however, what we decide to put in our body is a choice that will affect our way of living. In “The American Paradox,” Michael Pollan, a professor of journalism at University of California, Berkeley, disapproves of the way Americans have been eating. The term “American paradox” describes the inverse correlation where we spend more of our time on nutrition, but it would only lead to our overall health deteriorating. According to Pollan, our way of eating that had been governed with culture, or our mother, was changed by the entities of food marketers and scientists, who set up nutritional guidelines that changed the way we think about food. Nutritional advice is inaccurate as it is never proven, and it is not beneficial
For some time, scholars and writers have continuously debated as to what constitutes or defines the idea of healthy eating, mainly because of the increase in the number of people diagnosed with ailments associated with bad eating habits. It has quickly become the forefront of issue, particularly in the United States. In recognition of this on-going debate, this composition seeks to compare and contrast two well-known authors concerning how we think about and consume food. In Michael Pollan’s discussion, “Escape from the Western Diet,” he discusses the negative sides of nutrition science, including conflicting theories surrounding the elements of healthy food consumption and why solutions are essential for the Western diet and lifestyle. “Escape from the Western Diet,’’ is among the articles that talks about the eating habits of individuals in the society. In the article, Pollan points out not only the numerous conflicts concerning what types of diets – including carbohydrate-based, the inclusion of omega-3s, other nutrition-specific needs - that are believed to directly affect general health or specific illnesses, but also how western nutritionism compares to other countries diets affect longevity outcomes. In the end, Pollan suggests that the United States must seek solutions that move towards more natural, unprocessed, plant-based lifestyles that ensure that individuals are making what they consume a primary
My cholesterol was 699.83 mg, and since it is hard to determine between HDL and LDL through a food tracking application there was no Daily Recommended Intake. Yet, for a 2,000-calorie diet, it suggests 653mg as a maximum. I should reduce my cholesterol levels, because high cholesterol levels can increase risk of heart disease and stroke due to the plaque that can build up in the arteries. My total fat levels were 251% above my Daily Recommended Intake, and I should reduce total fat intake. Of the fat intake, I should reduce saturated fat the most, which was 138% of my Daily Recommended Intake. Saturated fats can increase risk for heart disease by increasing blood cholesterol. To reduce my fat intake I can replace foods like hamburgers with a leaner cut of meat, or chicken. I can reduce fat levels by using less butter to cook my meals, and less cheese. A good option would be a whole grain bread with turkey deli meat, which only has 1.4g of fat per serving. My sodium levels are also abnormally high; I consumed 7,053 mg of sodium, which is 5,553 mg over my Daily Recommended Intake. High sodium diets can increase blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease. To reduce sodium in my diet I can consume less packaged products, mostly meat products and choose a freshly cooked option. I should stay clear of frozen vegetables that have “fresh frozen” because they do not include added sodium. When deciding condiments, I should stay clear of high sodium products such as ketchup, soy sauce, dips and mustard. An easy away to identify food with recommended sodium levels in a grocery store is the “American Heart Association’s Heart-Check mark”. I consume a supplemental protein shake after each workout within thirty minutes to maximize my recovery and absorption of protein. I also have 25g of supplemental whey protein, and 40 grams of casein protein. Both of these products are
The question comes up again; “How is your diet?” Jessica revisited her diet analysis from the first week of class. She noticed that some things have changed and some things, unfortunately, have not changed. She knew that some things would not change because of the hectic and busy semester and summer she had ahead of her but the things that did change surprised her. This class did some good for her, but she still needs some work on her diet and nutrition.
Nutrition, I have learned plays a big part in our life. To be honest I was clueless about how much nutrition affected our everyday lives. I love going to the gym working out, now that I know what should go into my diet I think I will see a lot more improvement. I occasionally follow the latest diet fads because I believed it would be better for my health, but in turn it really hurt more than it helped! This Diet Analysis project has been extremely useful course because I can personally relate to it and can use much of the information learned to my daily routines. The Diet Analysis project was a real eye opener because it let me see what exactly I was putting into my diet.
Nutrition and physical activity are important aspects as they improve health and reduce chronic diseases. In June of this year my family physician placed me on a doctor assisted weight loss program that enabled me to eat my favorite foods but in appropriate proportions and in heathier ways. The best part about Supertracker is that it gives me wonderful tools to support me in understanding and meeting my goals. Once I created a profile through Supertracker I was provided a personal plan to follow including the amount of grains, vegetables, fruits, and protein I needed to be successful. For three consecutive days, I entered my food and activity intake into Supertracker and was able to analyze the excesses and deficiencies
Proper nutrition is important in maintaining a long and healthy life. Most Americans are rushed due to their busy work schedules, and do not take the time to plan their diets properly. Like me, most Americans are unaware of the importance of eating a healthy diet and consume too many foods without the proper nutrients. Throughout my life I have been fortunate. I have not had any major health problems, and have been able to consume most foods without having to worry about gaining weight. These last two years, however, I started to gain weight and have become concerned with my diet. Changing my poor eating habits has been difficult for me, however, having this assignment has taught me that it is not as difficult as I previously imagined.
Nutrition is essential to human’s life, but still people need to take care the quantity and quality necessitated. Most research studies agreed the way e...
There is no surprise that food is important in all aspects of our lives—it is shared amongst families, celebrated as a major part of our culture, and crucial to our daily routine that keeps us fit, healthy, and active. Today’s western culture glorifies a skewed perspective on how food is supposed to fit into our lives. Somehow this perception has led us to believe we no longer have the time or money it takes to prepare a wholesome, healthy meal that is shared at the dinner table with family. Instead, we are trained to want a meal that is fast, cheap, and easy. This meal is usually highly processed and filled with sugars and fats. This has led us to a problem of epidemic proportions characterized by the rapid increase in obesity and diabetes.
Nutrition is a very controversial and confusing topic. One day coffee is bad for you, but the next day it is good. Alcohol is detrimental for our health one day, but the next day red wine is the elixir of life. There are dozens of diet plans and they promise a leaner and healthier body. There is the 3-Hour Diet that involves constantly eating small portions of anything we want to eat. The latest diet craze, the Paleo Diet, is based upon eating foods that our “hunter-gatherer ancestors” would have thrived on during the Paleolithic era. And there is the Blood Type Diet, the South Beach Diet, the Macrobiotic Diet, the Mediterranean Diet, and the list goes on. But who and what should we believe? Well, there is an optimal diet for humans and the answer might surprise many.
A dietary assessment method is a critical component in many aspects of nutritional epidemiology such as evaluating energy and nutrient intake in free-living individuals (Taren, et al., 2002). The purpose of dietary assessment data collection is to establish the causal associations between diet and disease aetiology (Jain, et al., 1996). However, it is very difficult to measure exactly how much food people eat or to determine the nutrient content of the diet (Wild, et al., 2001). Therefore, the valid and precise techniques are required to estimate accurate and detailed information on food and nutrient intake as well as eating patterns for identification of the dietary influence on health and disease (Bingham, et al.,1994).
Having to list what I eat each day, see the calories consumed and then see the lack of nutrients that were contained therein was not only eye opening but a total shock. I would have predicted that I was eating well enough to provide all my essential nutrient needs. However, I was very mistaken. I think this was my biggest shock of the semester. Because I love vegetables, I thought that it would make up for the fact that I don’t particularly care for fruits. However, by tracking what I eat and analyzing the nutrient values, I see where I am not getting some of the important vitamins that I need. Although, it has been subtle, I am making some changes in my diet, however, the awareness is keenly there. On a spiritual note it really emphasizes the truthfulness of the Word of
In the book, In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan explores the relationship between nutrition and the Western diet, claiming that the answer to healthy eating is simply to “eat food”.
When I was involved in sports I often ate very nutritious foods because I want to stay as physically fit as possible and eating right helped me do that. However, now that I don’t play sports and am a lot more concerned with school and work, making nutritious choices tends to fall to the back burner. Doing this assignment and taking this class in general have made me want to make more thought through decisions about what foods I chose to put into my body. I know eating a balanced diet makes people feel better mentally and physically, so it’s something I have been working on making a priority in my life once